Tribute to man who helped find Mary Rose put on display

THE man who rediscovered the Mary Rose has been commemorated with a bronze bust.

The tribute to Alexander McKee was seen for the first time yesterday at the Mary Rose Museum, at the Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth and was made 22 years after his death.

It was unveiled by his widow Ilse McKee, and will now be on permanent display.

She said: ‘If Alexander were here, he would stand there with a big, wicked grin on his face, and would say “I have made it, I always wanted to make my mark in life”.’

Military historian and amateur diver Mr McKee searched throughout the 1960s for the wreck of Henry VIII’s warship, the Mary Rose, which sank in the Solent in 1545 fighting a French invasion fleet.

Rear Admiral John Lippiett, chief executive of the Mary Rose Trust, said: ‘We are delighted that Alex’s fundamental and vital role in locating and identifying the Mary Rose has been recognised in this way.

‘The bust will be mounted in the gallery which is named after him and is dedicated to those early days of rediscovery and displays one of Alex’s original dive logs.’